Garment assembled without sewing

Abstract

Elastic and/or decorative trim is attached along an edge of a fabric body of a garment without sewing. The trim comprises a textile material containing fibers of thermoplastic material. The fabric edge to which the trim is attached can be any type of fabric, not necessarily containing any thermoplastic fibers. The trim is attached by wrapping the trim around the fabric edge so that the edge is sandwiched between two opposing portions of the trim, and then localized regions of the trim are heated, preferably ultrasonically, to cause the thermoplastic material in the trim to become plastic and flow together from the opposing portions, thus penetrating through the fabric edge. The thermoplastic material is then allowed to cool and solidify, thereby attaching the trim to the fabric edge. Also disclosed are garments having ultrasonically formed joints between two or more fabric panels. Particular joints are described enabling non-ultrasonically bondable panels to be ultrasonically joined to other ultrasonically bondable panels.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A garment, comprising: 
       a fabric body formed of yarns, the fabric body having a fabric edge; and  
       an elongate trim attached to the fabric body along the fabric edge, the trim being formed of a textile material including fibers of thermoplastic material, the trim being attached to the fabric edge by wrapping the trim over the fabric edge such that the fabric edge is sandwiched between opposing portions of the trim and passing the trim and the fabric edge lengthwise through a nip defined between an ultrasonic horn and a rotating anvil, the anvil having an outer periphery configured to cause the trim to be heated at localized regions thereof spaced apart along a length of the trim, said heating the thermoplastic fibers at localized spaced apart regions to melt and penetrate the fabric edge, such that upon cooling and re-solidification of the thermoplastic material the trim is attached to the fabric edge at said localized spaced apart regions;  
       wherein the fabric body is a non-ultrasonically bondable fabric, and the trim is attached to the fabric edge by thermoplastic material penetrating the fabric edge from each of the opposing portions of the trim such that the opposing portions are attached to each other through the non-ultrasonically bondable fabric.  
     
     
       2. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric body comprises a knitted fabric. 
     
     
       3. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric body comprises a circularly knit fabric. 
     
     
       4. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the fabric body is a resiliently stretchable fabric and the trim is an elastic material. 
     
     
       5. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the localized regions at which the trim is attached to the fabric body are configured to simulate the appearance of a plurality of needle penetrations spaced along the trim such that the trim appears to have been sewn on the garment. 
     
     
       6. The garment of  claim 1 , wherein the trim encircles an opening defined by the fabric body. 
     
     
       7. The garment  claim 1 , wherein the garment is a substantially seamless garment, the fabric body being knit, on a circular knitting machine as a tubular fabric. 
     
     
       8. A substantially seamless garment, comprising: 
       a fabric body formed from a circularly knit tubular fabric, the fabric body defining at least one body opening encircled by a fabric edge, the fabric body having a synthetic fiber content less than about 60 percent;  
       an ultrasonically bondable elastic trim attached along the fabric edge so as to encircle the at least one body opening, the trim comprising a textile material including fibers formed of thermoplastic material, the trim being attached to the fabric edge by wrapping the trim over the fabric edge such that the fabric edge is sandwiched between opposing portions of the trim and passing the trim and the fabric edge lengthwise through a nip defined between an ultrasonic horn and a rotating anvil, said heating the thermoplastic fibers at localized spaced-apart regions to soften and penetrate the fabric edge, the opposing portions of the trim are attached to each other through the fabric edge at said localized spaced-apart regions upon cooling a re-solidification of the thermoplastic material.